Clip



Patented Nov. 12, 1940 A William It. Wiley,

v constructions of the type particularly adapted to tioned having'novel molding engaging means 'and ciated therewith.

secure moldings to supporting panel members; such as the panel members of automobile bodies One ofthe primary objects of the present invention is to provide improved clips of the type mentioned. which are-adapted .to'extend through apertures-in a panel member and have means thereon for covering such apertures so that a leak-proof combination'is provided." I 1 Another object improved clip constructions of -thetype menalso having novel panel eng'agingfmeans' asso Another object of the inventionis toprovide an improved clip construction of the type men tioned having novel molding engaging means whereby the 'clip maybe readily inserted into the molding by a turning movement.

Another object or the invention is to provide an improved clip construction of'the type men-I tioned havinga novel molding engaging portion by which the molding may be snapped over the molding engaging means and is securely held in position.

Other objects of the invention will become: apparent from thefollowing specification the drawing relating thereto and the claims hereinafter set forth. r 1

In the drawing, in which like numerals are used to designate like parts in the throughout:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional' view illustrating a molding secured :toa

supporting panel bymeans of one form of clip 1 embodying features oi the. present invention:

Fig. 21s a perspective view'oi the clip il1us-' trated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the clip illu's trated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the clip illustratedin Fig; 2;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, illustrating" another form of such cliphaving modified panel engaging means thereon;

Fig.- 7 is a. perspective view of a modified formof clip construction;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view or the clip shown in Fig. 7:

Fig.9 is an end"elevatlonal view of the clip illustrated in Fig. 7;

of the invention is to provide line which thermolding strip i I is several views of greater area prairvret of the clip illustrated Fig. io'kis a sidei elevationalview or the cu illustrated in Fig. 7 Fig. 11 isa view-"similar toFlgUQ illustrating such=clip with a modified form of paneiengaging 6 means; thereon.

. Referring to the drawing, 'and'referring par-- ticularly-toFigs. 1 through "thereoi", a sheet metal, channel shaped molding strip III is.illus-" trated having inturned. edges l2. It is, of course,

tobe understood that the strip l0 iselongated in shape and is adapted to be attached'toa sheet metaipanel ll; such as one of the body panels 1 of an automobile, at spaced intervals along its. length. The panel I4 is provided'with a. plurality I of spa e open s or apertures l6, which in the embodiment, illustrated are circular, along the designed to occupyjwhenin position t, r a

The clips forming the subject matter of the presentinventionare preferably formed of a single integral sheet metal stamping made; from relatively high carbon steel, which, after"being formed, is heat treated; or otherwise tempered a in order that it will; have the resiliency" and rug- .gednessnecessaryinclips ofthe type'herein described. 7. I

The molding III issecurely'mounted to the panelrll by meansofclips generally indicated at l8, which are formed, of the material treated as above mentioned, and which engage the molding 0 i8 and panel ll through apertures l6. Each clip I 8 comprises-a flat plate-like portion 20 which is than the area of aperture It so that theportion' 20 extends beyond the confines of the. aperture and-serves as a cover to provide a leak-proof construction when the elements are assembled.

In-order'to-secure'the clip to'the molding ll,

theplate-like portion 20 is provided with a pair ofoppositely disposed recesses 2| providing oppo sitely directed proiectionsnhaving straight porjtions 24 and tapered portions 26. The projections 22;are" adapted" to engage the flanges." of the molding; and cooperating elements are provided in 28 which are'spa'ced' from the projections 22 by uptumed portions 30 integral with the edge of recess 2| so "that theprojections'zl are'substantially parallel to" their cooperating projections 22. 5

' That corner of eachprojection 2 8 which faces the 7 projection- 22 is turned up slightly as indicated at 32'so-that a cam Sulf -C 5 Provided to facilitate engagement ofthe projection 28 withilan'ge J or armamthe under surfaces 01' the form of projections 4 The clip I8 is secured to the molding In by a turning movement in that the clip is first positioned relative to the flanges I! 'of the molding so that the projections 22 underlie the flanges and the projections 28 overlie the flanges. By then turning the clip, the cam surface 32 engages the inner edge of flange l2, and as the turning of the clip continues, the flanges H are securely held between the projections 27. and 28. The clip 10 is thus securely fixed to the molding I0.

In order to secure the clip [8 to the panel, i4, panel engaging elements are formed integral with the plate-like portion 20. Such panel engaging elements are formed at opposite positions on the plate member and are formed by providing slits or slots 34 through the opposite edges of the portion 20. Such-portions are then oflset upwardly out of the plane of portion 20 to provide top portions 36. The panel engaging elements 2 are then reversely turned upon themselves to provide under portions" which lie within the plane of portion 20. v

The ends of the panel engaging elements are then curved and turned so thatthe upper edges thereof are spaced from the under surface platelike portion 20 a distance substantially equalto the thickness of panel H, as best seen in Figures 1 through 4. The turned ends are indicated at 40' and such ends 40 have the extreme tips thereof slightly curved outwardly asindicated at 42 in;

Figure 3. Theends 4U are-also twisted slightly so that the surfaces thereof converge downwardly and inwardly generally in the form of a cone. The purpose of this convergence is to facilitate the insert of the panel engaging elements throughthe apertures H5 in that the outer surfaces of such elements act as cam surfaces to first force'these resilient elements inwardly as such elements are ture, they. will then resiliently snap outwardly to their normal position, as indicated in- Figure-1,

to lock the, clips to the panel. The top surface of the panel is engaged bythe under surface of portion 20 and the under surface of panel 14 is engaged by the top edge of resilient elements 40.

Such elements 40 must becollapsed toward each other before the clip canbe removed fromthe' panel. As best illustrated in Figure 1, it will be seen that the aperture I6 is completely covered by the cover portion 20 of the clip so that a leakproof combinationis provided.

In Figure 6, a modified form of panel engaging 5 means is provided on the clip described'above. Such panel engaging means includes an elongated strip which is integral with the plate-like portion 20 and which is bent to provide a shoulder-portion 44 which diverges downwardly and out- 0 wardly, an adjacent downwardly converging portion 46, a nose 48, an upwardly and outwardly diverging portion 50, and an upwardly and in-. wardly converging portion 52. The elongated element is resilient so that the nose portion 48 first passes through the aperture and the portions 46 and 50 engage theedge of. aperture IE to resiliently collapse the panel; engaging element. When the clip is in its normal position with respect to the panel H, the edge of the aperture is engaged by shoulder portions 44 and 52, and the clip is thereby fixed with respect to the panel l4. v clip including a plate-hire portion covering-said Referring to Figures '7 through 10, a modified form of clip construction is'illustrated in which the molding engaging means are. of a different 5 character than that illustrated abovein connection with Figures 1 through 5. The cover portion and the panel engaging means are. however, the same as in the embodiment described above in Figures 1 through 5.

In this embodiment of the invention, the mold- 5 ing engaging means include oppositely disposed, elongated elements having upstanding portions 54 which are integral with the plate-like portion 20. Such portions 54 lie in planes substantially normal to the plane of plate member 20 and have 10 free resilientends 56 which are turned toward each other at substantially right angles to their respective portions 54. The facing ends of portions 58 are reduced and are turned to provide top surfaces which converge upwardly away from 15 plate-like portion 20 and lower edges 60 which are spaced from plate-like portions 20. The under edges 50 thus 'providecam edges which engage the top edges of flanges 12 in molding'ifl to secure such molding against panel 14. The molding ill so may be snapped over-the ends 58 ofthe resilient attaching elements 56 so that such flanges II are positioned under the ends 58 thatare engaged by edges 60.

In this embodiment ofthe invention, the plate- 25 like portion 20 alsois of a greater area than the aperture It so that it serves as a cover for such aperture. In Figure. 11, a modified form of clip is illustrated in which the plate-like portion 20 and the molding engaging means are the same as 50 those illustrated above in connection with Figures 7 through 10 but in which another form of panel engaging elements is illustrated. Such panelengaging elementsinclude a pair of depending legs 62 which are positioned side-by-side 85 and which are shaped to provide shoulder portions 64, diverging downwardly from cover portion 20. The ends of the legs are then bent to converge inwardly as indicated at v55 so that the legs 62 are sprung toward each other as they 9' are inserted in apertures l5 and then spring outwardly as the edges of such aperture engage the shoulder, portions 64. Such shoulder portions thereby force the panel l6 against the under surface of cover portion 20 and fix the clip with re- 45 spect to the panel and, therefore, fix the molding l5 with respect to the panel whichis engaged by the molding engaging elements.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without 50 departing from the spirit and substance of the invention, the scope of which is'commensurate with the appended claims.

said portion and lying in substantially the same no plane thereof, other projections integral with said 1 portion and spaced from said first named projections, said projections cooperating to form molding engaging, means receiving portions of said molding therebetween, and means disposed on the opposite side of said portion engaging said panel.

2. In combination, a channel shaped molding member having intumed flanges, a supporting panel having an aperture therein, and a clip 7 4' for securing said molding to said panel, said aperture, a pair of oppositely, directedprojections formed on opposite edges of said portion; andlying in substantially the same plane thereof is another pair of oppositely directed projections formed on opposite edges of said portion and lying in a plane spaced from the plane of said portion, each of said last named projections cooperating with one of said first named projections and being laterally spaced therefrom to provide extending beyond the confines of said aperture and engaging said panel, means disposed on one side of said portion engaging said molding, and

means disposed on the opposite side of said portion extending through said aperture, said last named means including elongated elements turned and curved so that the top edges thereof lie in spaced relation to the under surface of said portion and so that said top edges engage the under surface of said panel.

4. In combination, a channel shaped molding member, a supporting panel having an aperture therein, and a clip for securing said molding to said panel, said clip including a cover portion extending beyond the confines of said aperture and engaging said panel, means disposed on one side of said portion engaging said molding, and means disposed on the opposite side of said portion extending through said aperture, said last named means including elongated, resilient elements turned and curved so that the top edges thereof lie in spaced relation to the under surface of said portion and sothat said top edges engage the under surface of said panel, said elements also being turned so that the surfaces thereof converge away from said cover portion.

5. In combination, a channel shaped molding member having inturned flanges, a supporting panel having an aperture therein, and a clip for securing said molding to said panel, said clip including a cover portion having portions thereof engaging one side of saidpanel and extending beyond the confines of said aperture, oppositelyv disposed upstanding portions integral with said cover portion, each of said last named portions having resilient free ends extending toward each other, the extremities" of "said ends being turned to provide cam'portions which engage said intiu'ned flanges and secure said clip with respect to said molding, and means disposed on the opposite side of said portion extending through said aperture engaging said panel. 

